Lifeline
by Kittfox
Summary: Naruto has always been stubborn. It's either that or he's just plain hard to kill.


**Please read and review.**

**Summary: Naruto has always been stubborn, it's either that or he's just plain hard to kill.**

**Disclaimer: Ya think!**

LIFELINE 

The life expectancy for a shinobi can be surmise to say, short. To go past the age of thirty or even twenty-five would be either because you're extremely lucky or just extremely good. Naruto pondered about this as he packs his belongings thoughtfully. (Making it a point to remember to pack his sleeping cap. Must remember. Must remember.)

It is common knowledge. Don't be a shinobi if you don't want to die early.

_If that is so, then is he just really lucky to be alive?_ Naruto isn't the type to question things. If the question is hard, he'll give it some thought before dismissing it back to the dark edges of his mind. He is not the type of guy who's obsessed with whys either. But sometimes he can't help but wonder.

_Why?_

Living the life that he had he had many chances to die.

Just like the night after the academy genin test when Iruka-sensei protected him. Back when the demon brothers attacked him. Back when Haku almost killed him.

The time at the chunnin exams when a snake ate him, Orochimaru attacked them, his fall from a cliff no thanks to the pervert. (He never did forgive him for that.) The battle with Shukaku/gaara.

And the time… 

When Itachi and Kisame appeared before him, when the old hag saved him from Orochimaru.

And who could forget… 

Their retrieval mission when Sasuke buried his head on the ground, when Sasuke blew a high level katon technique right in front of his face, when Sasuke hand pierced his right lung. (And jeez!)That had to be (**Had to be)** the proverbial icing on the cake. (Even though he haven't actually ate one. Maybe he should buy one next time?)

At that, Naruto have to laugh as he strapped on his bag; because if anything else he would be bitter and sobby (is that even a word?) all about it. And to put it mildly, those are just a brief summary of the most climatic/anti climatic near death experiences for the past months? Year? Not counting the missions of course. He doubts that the rest of the genins has the same level of excitement during their genin days.

To simply put, he should have died already. So why is it that he's still here?

It is because I'm not allowed to die. 

And it's because of that fact that makes him so tired. If they're going to kill him just fucking kill him already! And make sure he stays dead this time. (Waking up in a hospital much less paying the bills is not exactly pleasant y'know.)

It's not like he doesn't see, the old pervert won't let him, the fox won't even have his skin marred, the old hag is protective on him, Heck! Even the psycho organization after him (or rather the bastard fox inside him) won't let anything remotely _fatal_ cross him. (Not yet anyway.)

Kamikaze Naruto. He thinks he should make that an alias with his habit of throwing caution and diving headfirst to the fight. He lightly skips the steps of the apartment building as he made his way to the road.

It's not like he has a death wish or something. (puhleezze) It's not like that he believes in fate either. (if he did then he would have to believe that fate made him like this and fate made he go through all that just because for the sake of having to appease their sick sense of humor.)

But it may more than a coincidence right?

He doesn't want to believe in god because shit, what kind of god toys people like that. He likes to think it's because that he's strong (and a little lucky) and that it's his own will and belief that he has still has too many things to do, promises to keep, dreams to fulfill to die.

But mainly it's just to rub it to their faces that he could do it; to prove his existence to those who are ignorant and those who plainly doesn't care at all. To have the last laugh after taking all that shit he could flash them a finger while being respected the same time.

He grinned as he saw the silhouette of the old pervert waiting by the gate. He waved and shouted a greeting.

He has so many things still to do; reasons why he isn't allowed to die. Reasons like bringing back a spoiled traitorous bastard back home, reasons like killing the order version of the said so bastard then laughing at the bastard's face. Reasons like cutting and choking a certain pedophile snake with his own tongue, reasons like proving everybody wrong then crushing the dreams of all those who wronged him.

Naruto isn't an avenger or anything the like of a revengeful emo. He's just the type of guy if really really really pissed, he would make it a point to crush, destroy and grind you to dust stopping in no way means to do so. Because really, Naruto is a simple guy, forgiving, kind, annoying, loud and all the ways normal.

Naruto is just is. He's here to stay, past, present, future. Because damnit, he's stubborn, he won't go down without a fight.


End file.
